Agreed John.  However, it's kind of fun to look at and osme of them are not 
bad.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Schwery" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This


> Although I understand the humor and frustrations, I don't agree wit the 
> approach.  Our speech should always be with grace, seasoned with salt.
>
> earlier, JULIE MELTON, wrote:
>
>>Lyn,
>>
>>Hahahahahahahahah! I love it!  WHen dealing with sighted folks, a little 
>>humor often helps.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>JulieMelton
>>visit me at
>>www.heart-and-music.com
>>or subscribe to my podcast at
>>http://feed.feedburner.com/hmradio
>>Keep smiling!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>From: Lyn Latham <[log in to unmask]>
>>>Reply-To: The Electronic Church <[log in to unmask]>
>>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>>Subject: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>>>Date: Thu, 8 Feb 2007 11:06:18 -0500
>>>
>>>Hey, I wanted to share this with all of you.  It's fantastic.  If anyone 
>>>knows either Greg Braton or Duncan Holmes, you can see this being 
>>>something they would know about.  Have fun.
>>>----- Original Message -----
>>>From: Duncan Holmes
>>>To: gil tolan
>>>Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:13 AM
>>>Subject: A New Twist on Handling Sightlings; Greg Brayton Sent This
>>>
>>>
>>>I really like this.
>>>
>>> > I'm blind, but there's no need to talk to my dog
>>> >
>>> > By IAN HAMILTON
>>> > The Herald, Scotland (UK), February 06, 2007
>>> >
>>> > I'm utterly exhausted with people constantly asking how I became 
>>> > blind.
>>> > Considering that I'm 42, and blind since birth, it could be imagined 
>>> > that
>>> > by
>>> > now I would be familiar with this question.
>>> >
>>> > On the contrary, if anything I'm getting more impatient with the same 
>>> > old
>>> > questions day after day. "Have you been blind all your life?" To this 
>>> > I
>>> > always respond: "Not yet".
>>> >
>>> > "Your hearing must be so much better than mine?" Answer: "Pardon?" 
>>> > "That's
>>> > a
>>> > lovely Labrador you have there." Answer: "Labrador? My dog is a 
>>> > Shepherd."
>>> >
>>> > Not original answers, but they always make me and Moss, my black 
>>> > Labrador,
>>> > chuckle.
>>> >
>>> > It always happens when I'm trapped and unable to escape. When I'm on a
>>> > bus,
>>> > train or taxi. People are naturally curious; I understand this. But 
>>> > they
>>> > can't resist going that little bit too far if you show any glimpse of
>>> > being
>>> > generous with your responses.
>>> >
>>> > "Couldn't you get an operation to get your sight back?" Answer: "No! I
>>> > like
>>> > walking into bus stops."
>>> >
>>> > "My auntie was blind. She had to stay in bed. You're so brave going 
>>> > out
>>> > and
>>> > about." Staying in bed. Umm, now there's an idea. That was one smart
>>> > auntie.
>>> >
>>> > "How do you find your mouth when you eat?" Answer: "In the same way 
>>> > you
>>> > find
>>> > your bum when you wipe it."
>>> >
>>> > "If I was blind I would have to kill myself." Answer: "Why wait?"
>>> >
>>> > These normal questions are the reason I've come up with a fantastic 
>>> > plan.
>>> > For years, various organisations have been providing Blind Awareness
>>> > Workshops. In fact, I've had to deliver a few. These workshops show 
>>> > the
>>> > public how they should respond if they encounter a blind person. 
>>> > Topics
>>> > such
>>> > as, don't go up and shout at blind people, they are not deaf.
>>> >
>>> > ASK, if they want to cross the road? DON'T drag them across the road 
>>> > by
>>> > the
>>> > ears. When you are giving directions, DON'T waggle your finger in some
>>> > vague
>>> > direction and say: "It's just over there next to the post office. SEE, 
>>> > you
>>> > can't miss it." Wanna bet?
>>> >
>>> > Many years ago I was waiting for a bus in Union Street in Glasgow, 
>>> > when
>>> > two
>>> > little old ladies decided to lift me, from behind, on to the bus. They
>>> > proceeded to push, heave and shove me. Now, I know I'm not known for 
>>> > my
>>> > speed, but I was heading in the right direction of the door under my 
>>> > own
>>> > propulsion. You won't be surprised to hear that they failed miserably.
>>> > After
>>> > all, I'm 13 stone and 6ft. To get me safely aboard they caused mayhem:
>>> > pushing mothers and toddlers aside to get to their prey. The driver 
>>> > had to
>>> > leave his cab to untangle buggies, shopping and various limbs and 
>>> > walking
>>> > sticks.
>>> >
>>> > I wonder if the ladies survived that day. I know I'm scared.
>>> >
>>> > I've decided to call my new training course The Blind Person's Guide 
>>> > to
>>> > the
>>> > General Public. Topics such as dealing with people who are giving
>>> > directions
>>> > to my dog while ignoring me. This did happen in Glasgow's Central 
>>> > Station
>>> > by
>>> > a member of the railway police. I couldn't believe it. Was he having a
>>> > laugh? No, he really was under the misapprehension that my dog knew 
>>> > what
>>> > he
>>> > was on about. Not once did he refer to me at all. Bizarre behaviour!
>>> >
>>> > My course will teach blind people how to cope when faced with this 
>>> > kind of
>>> > attitude. When people come up and say: "You are a lovely boy" - when
>>> > talking
>>> > to the dog. Say, "Thank you very much but I'm spoken for."
>>> >
>>> > Another tip is always to have a pair of headphones in your pocket. It 
>>> > is
>>> > awful to be trapped on a train with someone going through all their 
>>> > fears
>>> > and traumas about being blind. Just say that you are going to listen 
>>> > to an
>>> > audio book. Pop on the headphones and put the jack in your pocket. 
>>> > They'll
>>> > never know the difference.
>>> >
>>> > When you get caught by someone asking silly questions, the answer is 
>>> > to
>>> > turn
>>> > the conversation round at the first opportunity. The one main 
>>> > conversation
>>> > that everyone likes to talk about is themselves.
>>> >
>>> > Now this doesn't just apply to us blindies - the technique can be used 
>>> > by
>>> > everyone. Let me give you an example. I was travelling on the Glasgow
>>> > Underground. Sitting opposite was a woman who decided to interrogate 
>>> > me
>>> > about my then German Shepherd guide dog. "What's its name?" The 
>>> > following
>>> > questions took that kind of line. Then she started to get a little 
>>> > more
>>> > probing. "So how did you lose your sight?"
>>> >
>>> > Now in the correct circumstance that is a perfectly reasonable 
>>> > question.
>>> > However, not on the underground when surrounded by ear-wigging 
>>> > passengers.
>>> > I
>>> > had a number of options. One is telling her to mind her own business 
>>> > (or
>>> > words to that effect). I took a different tack. This was the first 
>>> > time I
>>> > had put the technique into action.
>>> >
>>> > It worked a treat.
>>> >
>>> > I ignored her question. Then I asked her some questions of my own, 
>>> > such
>>> > as,
>>> > "Where are you off to today?". By the time she got off three stops 
>>> > later,
>>> > I
>>> > knew that she had just broken up with her boyfriend, she was looking 
>>> > for a
>>> > flat and was thinking of moving south again! But she left the tube 
>>> > feeling
>>> > happy. I hadn't been rude, and the only thing she found out about me 
>>> > was
>>> > the
>>> > name and age of my dog.
>>> >
>>> > A good result, I would say. I'm not a reporter for nothing.
>>> >
>>> > Ian Hamilton reports on disability issues for BBC Scotland.
>>> >
>>> >
>>> >
>>>http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/features/display.var.1173810.0.0.php
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>
>>>
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>>>Version: 7.1.411 / Virus Database: 268.17.19/663 - Release Date: 2/1/2007
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>--
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>>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>>Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 2/7/2007 
>>3:33 PM
>
> John
>
>
> -- 
> No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
> Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.17.30/674 - Release Date: 2/7/2007 
> 3:33 PM
>
>
> -- 
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> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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>